The Crafty Catsman · Tools for making
Jig Workshop.
Give your next batch
a place to belong.
Start with the object on your bench. Enter its measurements, arrange the batch, and check the fixture against the machine that will use it and the 3D printer that will make it.
Build your jig Free · Runs in your browser · STL + placement files01 / Choose the receiving machine
Made around your setup.
Design a measured positioning jig for UV printing or laser work. The workshop checks the loaded setup against your selected machine, and the fixture against your 3D printer’s usable build volume. Physical fit still needs a sample.
For detailed layouts, we recommend a desktop or tablet with more room to work. On your phone, measure blanks, plan a jig and download the same files in a focused, three-step workspace.
Choose an example shape to start over. This replaces the current blanks and loads example pocket settings; enter your own measurements next.
6 blanks in your jig.
How much does the surface curve away from the top?
A curved surface falls away from its highest point. Explore the width over which the surface stays within your chosen drop.
Geometry only. This is not a manufacturer-approved printhead gap or printable-area setting.
1 check needs attention
First print = sample- ✓Fixture 152.5 × 103.8 mm; selected work area 420 × 330 mm. Check placement, mat edges and hold-downs on the machine.
- ✓Loaded height 44.7 mm / 60 mm documented configuration limit.
- ?Confirm your usable 3D-printer build volume. The starting 256 mm dimensions are an editable example.
- ✓This setup requires more than 5 mm between blanks. Smallest reserved gap: 6 mm.
Curved seats are untested locators for ideal spheres or straight cylinders. They do not clamp the blank or stop it turning. Dimples, clips, taper and wobble need a physical sample fit. A flatbed fixture exposes only the top of the object; it does not provide rotary printing.
Measure the highest point of the loaded setup and test a small print area. Object height alone does not establish printhead clearance or image quality on a curved surface.
04 / Take it to the bench
Make a sample. Then make a batch.
Download the fixture in millimetres. Inspect the mesh and first layers in your slicer, then test one pocket with your real blank.
Resolve the dimension checks above to enable the STL.The reference shows blank outlines and local coordinates; it is not a machine program or laser-cut file.
From screen to bench
The jig holds the object.
You establish the repeatability.
A file cannot see a pen clip, a warped print or a loose bed stop. Start small, learn from the fit, and carry those measurements into the batch.
- 01
Measure the whole blank
Use calipers. Account for rims, taper and anything that could contact the fixture or head. Example dimensions are not product specifications.
- 02
Print one seat first
Set the grid to one row and one column. Tune the fit allowance with the material and slicer settings you will actually use. Confirm the blank is stable and removable.
- 03
Register, measure, test
Fix the jig in a repeatable position. Measure the loaded height and align it in your machine’s software. Check the head path and make a small test before committing the batch.
Machine reference · checked September 5, 2026
eufyMake E1: the setup behind the numbers.
Plan a flat UV-printing fixture around the E1 platform and alignment method you will actually use.
Standard flatbed · Photo alignment
- The published print area is 420 × 330 mm; confirm axis orientation in eufyMake Studio.
- Photo alignment caps the loaded fixture and workpiece at 60 mm.
Published load limit: 1.5 kg. The tool does not estimate loaded weight; weigh the complete setup.
Flatbed platforms, substrate selection and placement requirements for UV Printer E1 ↗eufyMake UV Printer E1 Photo Alignment User Guide — Snapshot and Assisted Photography Tutorial ↗
How to Print on Golf Balls: 5 Steps | Golf Ball Printer ↗
Dimensions are processing limits for this configuration. Mat edges, clamps, keepouts and head paths still need checking. No external machine dimensions are used as work area.
Keep these distinctions
- For multiple objects, use the same type and height and leave more than 5 mm between them; 5 mm itself is excluded.
- Immobilize curved objects, keep artwork on a tested top patch, and verify surface drop and head clearance.
- Published height is not safe printhead standoff or proof of fit.
- The newer 130 mm alignment claim does not replace the platform-specific limits used here.
- Rotary work is outside this flat-jig planner.
Compare all supported machine configurations
| Machine / setup | Work area (mm) | Height limit (mm) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| eufyMake E1Standard flatbed · Photo alignment | 420 × 330 | 60 | Manufacturer ↗ |
| eufyMake E1Mini flatbed · Photo alignment | 330 × 90 | 60 | Manufacturer ↗ |
| eufyMake E1Standard flatbed · Zero-point alignment | 418 × 328 | 60 | Manufacturer ↗ |
| eufyMake E1Mini flatbed · Zero-point alignment | 328 × 88 | 80 | Manufacturer ↗ |
| xTool O1 OmniMini baseplate | 330 × 122 | User confirmed | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool O1 OmniStandard baseplate | 330 × 420 | User confirmed | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool X1 (Upcoming)Manual plan · Unverified envelope | User confirmed | User confirmed | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool P2 / P2SSlats | 600 × 305 | 25 | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool P2 / P2SHoneycomb panel on slats | 556 × 280 | 22 | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool P2 / P2SRiser base with honeycomb panel | 500 × 250 | >22 to 176 | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool P3CO₂ · Manual mode | 915 × 458 | 220 | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool P3CO₂ · Auto mode | 915 × 458 | 180 | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| xTool P35W infrared module | 650 × 426 | 180 | Manufacturer ↗(paid link) |
| Custom machineManual measurements | User confirmed | User confirmed | Your setup |
How the geometry is calculated
The fixture encloses the full, rotated bounding boxes of your blanks, expanded by the fit allowance, with the outside border added afterward. It reserves at least 2 mm between those expanded boxes. That conservative spacing can reject a diagonal arrangement whose curved surfaces would otherwise clear.
Flat blanks sit on the floor, or on the support plane when the floor is zero. A sphere or straight cylinder sits at the bottom of an enlarged curved cavity in the ideal calculation; its lowest point remains at the planned floor. A spherical cup has no clamp or rotational stop. The loaded height includes the highest blank or fixture surface. Curved pockets must be shallower than the cavity radius so they do not reach its widest section.
The 3D view and STL use the same generated mesh. Curved-seat facets are placed outside the ideal cavity, then stopped at the floor, so they do not intrude into the modeled blank. This leaves a small flat contact area and extra space; it does not restrain movement. These calculations do not model print shrinkage, dimples, flexible materials, weight, hold-downs or actual machine motion. STL stores no units: import as millimetres.
Before the first print
A few useful answers.
What changed from the older jig generator?
This workshop keeps grids, mixed blanks, individual positioning and rotation, and adds machine-specific dimensions, curved seats and a shared 3D/STL model. Freehand polygons, finger notches and adjustable outer corners are not included in this version. Use the measured shapes here or a dedicated CAD program for an arbitrary outline.
What does the Jig Workshop make?
It makes a 3D-printable positioning fixture for round or rectangular blanks, straight cylindrical pens, or spheres such as golf balls. Mix measured blanks, arrange a batch, then download an STL and a placement reference. It does not generate machine instructions or rotary attachments.
Why select both a machine and a 3D printer?
The machine receives the fixture and loaded blanks. The 3D printer makes the fixture. Their usable areas and height limits can be very different, so the workshop checks them separately. Enter the usable print volume after accounting for your printer’s keepouts.
Are the presets physically tested?
These are source-backed machine envelopes and calculated fixture geometry, not physically tested jigs. Example blank dimensions need measuring. Print a one-pocket sample first, inspect it in your slicer, then check seating, registration and head clearance on the actual machine before making a batch.
Will the golf-ball cup hold a ball securely?
This cup has not been physically tested. It provides a place to seat a ball but does not clamp it or stop it turning. Print one cup first and check your actual ball for rocking, turning and consistent height when reseated. Secure the fixture using the machine’s approved method and test a small top-facing design. This is not a wraparound fixture; xTool’s OR1 rotary requires spheres at least 47 mm in diameter, larger than the 42.7 mm example here.
What does fit allowance mean?
Fit allowance enlarges a pocket on each side. A 90 mm round blank with 0.2 mm per side gets a 90.4 mm pocket. For a curved seat it increases the cavity radius, with the bottom kept at the same height. It is not a uniform gap around the ball: the ideal surfaces touch at the bottom and the rim gap changes with pocket depth. Facets, printer accuracy, shrinkage and the actual blank affect the fit.
Can I put a printed jig in a laser?
Only use a fixture where its material and placement are suitable for the machine and process. Keep printed plastic out of the laser beam and cutting path, and verify focus, nozzle clearance and hold-downs. A dimensional check does not establish laser-material compatibility.
How do the files line up with my machine?
The placement reference uses the fixture’s bottom-left corner as its local origin. Those are not machine coordinates. Register the fixture to a repeatable physical position, align the design in the manufacturer’s software, and test it. Import the unitless STL as millimetres. The SVG shows blank outlines, not approved laser-cut paths.
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